"Small is beautiful if you think big."

A message from
Catie Thorburn (†), Founder and President of GEF.    

"I’ve always been fascinated by people who have a vision of the future, who can see the big picture and place it in a political and moral context which makes sense for future generations. In creating the Generation Europe Foundation, I make no claim to being a visionary but simply to being concerned for future generations in this increasingly complex and consumer driven world.

Our challenge over the past 15 years has been to create understanding of issues such as citizenship, sustainability, lifestyle balance and ethical responsibility among young people in a nonpolitical and unbiased way. Europe has been our playing field – the wider Europe, tomorrow’s Europe. In some EU circles my nickname is the ‘lone crusader’ but it’s a title I’m proud to bear because I believe that only perseverance pays and eventually you can succeed in anything if you believe passionately in it.

Many people, organisations and advisors whom you will find mentioned in this site have helped us over the years – and I am deeply grateful to them all. As an NGO it hasn’t always been easy to persuade the public and private sectors to work together to address the issues that concern young people. 

Our success depends on how far we and our partners can create a communication platform which responds to future need and only time will tell if we have succeeded. We are a small, dedicated and talented team with big ideas. Feel free to visit us in our magnificent house and garden in the heart of Brussels a few steps away from the European institutions if you’d like to know more."

(June 2011)

Catie Thorburn passed away in January 2013. She is dearly missed by our team and friends. Her vision, unwavering optimism, energy and generosity continue to inspire us as we pursue the activities of GEF.